Indiana Public Media News

Porcelain Company Invests $16 Million In Kokomo

Posted October 15, 2013

Patriot Porcelain is investing $16 million to renovate an old factory and plans to create 140 jobs.

Photo: Gretchen Frazee/WFIU-WTIU News

Kokomo's economy, which largely relies on the car industry, was damaged by the recession beginning in 2008 but has since rebounded.

Patriot Porcelain LLC is investing $16 million to renovate an old factory building for its new operation. The move will create 140 jobs.

Patriot Porcelain makes bathroom pottery products and is taking over the former Gerber Sanitary Pottery Plant that shut down a few years ago.

Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight says he’s pleased that Patriot Porcelain is a non-automotive related firm because much of the economic growth seen in the past few years has led by the automotive industry, even though Goodnight says the city has workers with a variety of assets.

“We have a very skilled workforce that I think responds to the economic needs of businesses, both large and small. They seem to like the things we’re doing, the quality of life investments that we’ve made over the last few years,” Goodnight says.

He says GM and Delphi separately employ 1000 workers each and Chrysler employs over 6,000.

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